Electric switch.



Patented Aug. 13, mm.

G. E. LINTDN. ELECTRIC SWITCH.

(Application filed Sept. 14, 1900.)

(No Model.)

6 Owen an.

Wm GELI/v Tom Wineooa.

Unrrnn STATES FATENT Gretna,

GEORGE E. LINTON, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC: SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 680,336, dated August13, 1901.

Application filed September 14, 1900. Serial No. 80,005. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern;

Beit known thatLGEORGE E. LINTON,a citizen of the United States,residing at Worcester, in the county of WVorcester and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Electric Switch, of whichthe following is 1 a specification.

This invention relates to that class of electric switches which areprovided with pivoted or turning switchknives for opening and closingelectric circuits; and the object of this invention is to provide anovel form of switch-blade for use in electric switches of this classwhereby the switch-blades themselves may be made to act as safetydevices or fuses for preventing the overloading of the electric circuitsin which the same are arranged.

To these ends this invention consists of the electric switch and of thecombinations of parts therein, as hereinafter described, and moreparticularly pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of anelectric switch constructed according to this invention, the parts beingshown in their normal or closed condition. Fig. 2 is a similar viewshowing the switch opened and illustrating the manner in which aswitch-blade can be removed or replaced. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan viewof one of the switch-blades, and Fig. 4 is a perspective viewillustrating the form of contact section preferably employed for thesmaller-sized switch-blades constructed according to this invention.

Each electric circuit as now ordinarily installed employs a switch foropening and closing the circuit and one or more fuses or safety devicesfor preventing the circuit from being overloaded.

The safety devices and the switch for an electric circuit haveheretofore ordinarily been independently connected into each circuit, sothat two sets of connections have been necessarily used to properlyconnect the safety devices and switch into each circuit where the sameare to be used.

The especial object of the present invention is to provide an electricswitch in which each switch-knife acts as a safety device or fuse and inwhich the parts are so combined tubular body portion are ferrules 13.

that a knife or fuse may be drawn out of place longitudinally withoutdismantling the entire switch. That is to say, an electric switchconstructed according to this invention comprises a base-plate havingtwo sets of terminals secured thereon. The switch blades are pivotallymounted in one set of terminals and are connected together at theiropposite ends by a cross-piece of insulating material, having groovedand split ends clamped onto the switch-knives by screws, so that byloosening one of the clamping-screws and releasing the end of aswitch-knife from the terminal in which the same is pivoted saidswitch-knife may then be drawn out of place without otherwisedismantling the switch or removing the other switch -knife from itshinged joint.

The switch which I have herein illustrated comprises a plate A, of slateor other insulating material, extending up from which are hingedcontact-pieces 10, in line with which are the ordinary split-socket orcontact pieces 11. Removably pivoted in the hinged contactpieces 10 arethe turning or pivoted switchblades. The construction of theseswitchblades is most clearly illustrated in Fig. 3.

. As shown in this figure, each switch-blade or pivoted sectionpreferably comprises a tubular body portion 12, of fiber or similarinsulating material. Secured on the ends of the The ferrules 13 areconnected together by a fusible section or alloy wire which will melt orfuse when the current passing therethrough rises above a certainstrength. The space between the fusible wire 14 and tubular body portion12 may form a dead-airspace,although in practice this space ispreferably packed with asbestos or similar non-in flammable material.Brazcd to or formed integrally with one of the ferrules 13 is acontact-section 15, which is provided with a curved slot or socket 17,as illustrated most clearly in Fig. 2, for detachably hinging theswitch-blade in its hinged piece 10, and at the opposite end of theswitch-blade the other ferrule 13 is provided with a contact-section 16for engaging the split contact-piece 11. Fitting onto the free ends ofthe switch-knife is a cross piece 18, of hard rubber or similarinsulating material, which has grooved or split ends and which may beclamped onto the switch-knives by means of screws 19. Extending out fromthe cross-piece 18 is an operating-handle 20. By means of thisconstruction the switch may be opened and closed in the same manner asthe ordinary knife-switch, and whenever it is desired to replace aburned-out or fused switch-blade with a new or fresh switch-blade it issimply necessary to loosen one of the clamping-screws 19 and one of thepivotscrews, as illustrated in Fig. 2, in order to permit theswitch-blade to be lifted up from engagement with its hinged piece andthen drawn out through the cross piece 18, as shown.

In some cases instead of brazing or soldering the contact-pieces to theferrules of the switch-knife the contact-sections may be formedintegrally with each ferrule or tipthat is to say, if it is desired, atip or ferrule 22, as illustrated in Fig. 4, may simply have its endsflattened out, as at 23, to form the contzmt-section, and the flattenedportion 23 may have a hole bored therein for pivoting the same in placerather than by being provided with a notch or groove, and I preferablyemploy this fOllI] of contact-piece for the smaller sizes ofswitch-knives in applying my invention to the smaller sizes of switches.

I am aware that other changes may be made in practicing my invention bythose who are skilled in the art without departing from the scopethereof as expressed in the claims. I do not wish, therefore, to belimited to the construction I have herein shown and described; but

\Vhat I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is-

1. It an electric switch, the combination of a base-plate, two sets ofterminals secured thereon, two switch-blades pivotally mounted in oneset of terminals, each switch-blade comprising a tubular body portion ofnonconducting material having contact-sections at its ends connected byan inclosed fusible Wire, and a cross-piece of insulating materialhaving grooved and split ends clamped onto said switch-blades by twoclampingscrews, said parts being combined so that by loosening aclamping'screw and releasing a switch-blade from the terminal in whichit is pivoted, said switch-blade maybe then drawn out longitudinallywithout otherwise dismantling the switch, substantially as described.

2. In an electric switch, the combination of a base-plate A, two sets ofterminals 10 and 11 secured thereon, switch-blades pivotally mounted inthe terminals 10, each switchblade comprising a tubular body portion ofnon-conducting material with a contact-section at each end, saidcontact-sections being connected by fusible wires 14, and thehingedcontact-section being provided with an openmouth curved slot forreceiving its hingescrew, and a cross-piece 18 having grooved and splitends which may be clamped onto the switch-blades by screws 19, saidparts being combined so that by loosening a c1amping-screw 19 and acorresponding pivot-screw a switch-blade may be drawn out longitudinallywithout otherwise dismantling the switch, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

G. E. LINTON.

\Vitnesses:

M. E. REGAN, L. W. SOUTHGA'IE.

